SULU, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 2, 2009) – Unidentified gunmen killed the provincial jail warden of Sulu in an attack Monday and police is eyeing vendetta as the motive in the murder.
Jajulie Jupakkal was shot dead by one of two motorcycle gunmen in the capital town of Jolo, said Senior Supt. Julasirim Kasim, the Sulu police chief.
“We are investigating all angle and this could be a vendetta killing,” Kasim told the Mindanao Examiner, adding, the murder could be related to the victim’s job as jail warden.
He said Jupakkal had been suspended after 11 prisoners bolted the provincial jail in Patikul town on January 13. One prisoner was also killed during his escape.
Two days later, a jail guard, Raden Abu, who was also dismissed over the jail break, kidnapped three members of the International Committee of the Red Cross – Swiss national Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba – who inspected a water and sanitation at the prison facility.
Police said Abu handed over the prisoners to the Abu Sayyaf several days later after he was tagged as the masterminded in the kidnapping.
Kasim said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group recommended the suspension of Jupakkal to pave way for an impartial investigation into the jail break. “From what we gathered, those who escaped from jail have already joined the Abu Sayyaf group, which is now holding the Red Cross workers,” he said.
The Abu Sayyaf gang holding the aid workers is headed by Albader Parad and Yasser Igasan, said to be the chieftain of the terrorist group. Parad’s group reportedly demanded $10-million ransom for the safe release of the hostages, and this was on top of an earlier demand for the military to dismantle its cordon around the jungle of Indanan where they are holed out.
The Philippine News Service said the Abu Sayyaf is also considering swapping the hostages to Abu Sayyaf terrorists jailed in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
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